Local democracy

Issue - meetings

PENSIONS ADMINISTRATION

Meeting: 15/12/2020 - West Yorkshire Pension Fund Pension Board (Item 21)

21 PENSIONS ADMINISTRATION pdf icon PDF 155 KB

The report of the Director, West Yorkshire Pension Fund (Document “N”) provides an update on West Yorkshire Pension Fund’s (WYPF) pensions administration activities over the last six months.

 

Recommended –

 

That the report be noted.

 

(Yunus Gajra  - 01274 434343)

 

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved –

 

That the report be noted.

 

ACTION: Director, West Yorkshire Pension Fund

 

Minutes:

The report of the Director, West Yorkshire Pension Fund

(Document “N”) provided an update on West Yorkshire Pension Fund’s (WYPF) pensions administration activities over the last six months.

 

The background to the report reminded Members that as well as providing pensions administration for WYPF scheme members, WYPF provided a full administration service to Lincolnshire Pension Fund, the London Borough of Hounslow and to sixteen Fire Authorities. Those services included pensioner payroll (except for the London Borough of Hounslow), all member and scheme level events, reporting to statutory bodies, provision of data to external bodies such as actuaries, and local authorities for the production of the scheme accounts.

 

Performance and benchmarking against key areas of work for the period 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2020. It revealed that the majority of targets had been met or exceed. For the three targets which had not been achieved reasons for under-performance were provided. This included that Death in Service the Fund had encountered delays in receiving documents and that setting up a new spouse pension required locating pensions mainly from lost causes. The third target discussed was regarding transfer out quotes and had required additional checks to be undertaken to comply with The Pension Regulator guidance in relation to pension scams.

 

It was reported that for all schemes administered at June 2020 membership had increased and a full breakdown was appended to the report.

 

Members were advised that as part of the commitment to improving services random surveys of customers were conducted and the responses were also appended to the report.

 

Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures were reported and revealed the Pensions Ombudsman determination of two cases.

An administration update reported measures taken to ensure staff could work from home during the lockdown and that staff had been fully set up within two weeks.  The Pension Regulator’s (tPR) had been to focus on payment of benefits; employer contributions; minimising the risk of scams and supporting good decision making.  Members were assured that remote working was working well.

 

Staffing issues were reported including that WYPF had a full time equivalent staff of 154 with an average age of 47.  Sickness absence figures were presented and compared favourably with Bradford Council average.

 

New business awarded to WYPF was provided together with details of the Best Administration Award presented by Pension Age Magazine in February 2020.  It was felt that the award and level of new business demonstrated the fund’s ability to deliver high quality services at low cost. 

 

Resolved –

 

That the report be noted.

 

ACTION: Director, West Yorkshire Pension Fund

 


Meeting: 22/09/2020 - West Yorkshire Pension Fund Pension Board (Item 23.)

23. PENSIONS ADMINISTRATION pdf icon PDF 155 KB

The report of the Director, West Yorkshire Pension Fund (Document “N”) provides an update on West Yorkshire Pension Fund’s (WYPF) pensions administration activities over the last six months.

 

Recommended –

 

That the report be noted.

 

(Yunus Gajra  - 01274 434343)

 

 

Additional documents: